Comment on the Issue of Changing District-Level Autonomous Regions and Establishing Ethnic Townships [1]
(July 23, 1956)

Send to Comrade Li Weihan for consideration and handling.

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Guangdong <Guangxi>
(Fly
Mao Zedong
July 23

[1] This comment was written on the request-for-instructions report submitted by the United Front Work Department of the CPC Guangxi Provincial Committee to the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee on July 12, 1956, concerning the change of district-level autonomous regions and the establishment of ethnic townships. The report stated that Mao Zedong had given a verbal instruction in late May: temporarily halt the work of changing district-level autonomous regions and establishing ethnic townships. To facilitate implementation, a written directive was requested.

[2] In accordance with Mao Zedong’s written instruction, the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee drafted a reply telegram in August 1956 to the Guangxi Provincial Committee on the issue of changing district-level and township-level ethnic autonomous regions, with copies to the Party committees of all provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions. The telegram pointed out that on this issue, some opinions had been expressed among ethnic minorities in various localities, and these should be appropriately addressed according to different circumstances. Wherever district-level autonomous regions could be restructured, expanded, or merged to establish autonomous counties, work could begin to establish autonomous counties; however, for those minority district-level autonomous regions that truly could not be changed into autonomous counties and where the local ethnic people were unwilling to change them into district offices or ethnic townships, they must absolutely not be forced to change. All such changes should be temporarily halted and left for future consideration. As for the issue of restructuring ethnic autonomous regions equivalent to townships into ethnic townships, if the local ethnic minorities do not agree, this may also be deferred for the time being.

Archival Photo
In July 1956, Mao Zedong, together with Liu Shaoqi, Zhu De, Chen Yun, Deng Xiaoping, and others, received representatives attending the National Supply and Marketing Cooperatives Conference.
In 1956, Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlai, and other state leaders received conference representatives.